When you want to escape the cold and gloom of a northern European winter, you generally have to think about travelling a long distance to get some heat and sunshine. The Caribbean, Thailand, India all offer warmth and great holiday resorts, but it takes a long flight to get there, and though there are deals to be had, they generally aren’t cheap.

An alternative that will save both travel time and money is to head to the Canaries – a group of Spanish islands that are situated off the north-west coast of Africa in the Atlantic. Known for their fantastic climate, they are sometimes nicknamed the Fortunate Isles and their climate is referred to as ‘eternal spring’. In fact, the climate varies little during the year, and while the winters are warm and mild, the summer temperatures don’t ever get unbearable.

The main islands are Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria and they have been dedicated to mass tourism for the last sixty years. Consequently, these places are really ideally set up for holidaymakers looking for beautiful beaches, hotels with great facilities and lots of different things to do. The Canaries make an ideal location to take the family for a ‘fun in the sun’ holiday, but you can also find quieter resorts if you’re after a walking or hiking holiday.

The biggest and most popular resort on Gran Canaria has to be Playa del Ingles, where you’ll find the biggest concentration of tourist attractions like waterparks and hotels such as the IFA Continental which all boast excellent facilities including swimming pools, tennis courts and spas and are designed to make your holiday relaxing but simultaneously full of entertainment possibilities.

Whoever you’re going on holiday with, you’ll find a resort in Gran Canaria that is suitable for your party, and the fact that you can get there so cheaply and easily makes it an ideal place for a sunshine break any time of the year.